Improvement in saddles



UNITED STATES PATENT VOEEICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SADDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,4011, dated May 5, 1863.

To @ZZ whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, BARAKT. NIoHoLs, of the city ot' Newark, in the county of Essex and State ot' New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Saddles for Military and other Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a horse may vary at the different periods of a campaign, march, orjourney.

The same letters indicate like parts in all t'le iigures.

The nature of my invention consists, iirst, in constructing the saddle throughout in two distinct longitudinal parts or halves, which said parts or halves are connected together by means of straps or plates of steel, or other material, Fig. l, or by means of a common hinge, D D, Fig. 4, in such a way as to per- Init the saddle to expand or contract upon its central longitudinal line; and, secondly, in the application and use of one or more right and left screwbolts connecting the said longitudinal parts or halves in such a way that by turning the said bolts,or either of them, the saddle is contracted or expanded, as the case may be, and when so expanded or contracted is retained rm in such position by the said bolt or bolts.

In the drawings, A A are the side pieces of the saddle. B B are the cantles, and D D are strips or hingesv of spring-steel, or other equivalent material, connecting the two parts or halves of the saddle together. S S are right and left screw-bolts working into the nutpieces N N, as represented. The nut-pieces N N are attached to the cantles B B, one on each side, in front and behind, as represented in Figs. l and 4, and are adjusted to pivot or work at one end on the pin or rivet l?, as shown.

Wis the wrench, which is fitted to the saddle in any convenient way, in order that it may always accompany the same.

In order, therefore, to adjust the saddle,it is only necessary to operate the bolts S S by means of the wrench W, when the plates or hinges D D, serving as a fulcrum, the saddle will be immediately contracted or expanded, as the case may be, and the said bolts being rigid the saddle, when so contracted or expanded, will be retained tirmly in the position desired. In place of the plates D D, Fig. 1, hinges or other equivalent devices may be employed, D .D, Fig. 4, if desired, and the screw-bolts S S and nut-plates N N may be variously modified, adjusted, and arranged, all,however, without aii'ecting the main character of my said invention. l

I do not claim as my invention the dividing ot' the saddle into two distinct parts or halves, and connected togetherby means of a plate or hinge substantially as described, as I believe that to be the invention of Robert Spencer, and covered by him in the Letters Patent 34320, granted to him February 4,

1862, for iimproved military or riding saddle.

Neither do I claim the use of the said plate or hinge connecting the distinct halves or parts ofthe saddle, as aforesaid, as that also is the invention ofthe said Robert Spencer; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is-

The combination of the screw-bolts S S with the springs D D, substantially in the manner and for the'purposes described.

BARAK T. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

DANIEL F. To IvIPKINs, RoBT. SPENCER. 

